While gearing up to watch the Daily Show, my wife and I occasionally flip the TV over to the CW, to watch a locally produced show Secrets of Louisville Chefs. I love the idea of this show. Louisville has a lot of great restaurants, and there seem to be more every year. I have several friends who are chefs and who deserve the recognition of one my favorite arts, but somehow, Secrets of Louisville Chefs manage to make every dish look as unappetizing as possible. I don't know what camera they use, but the picture is always bluish, suggesting mortification or mold, and the food is always shiny, making it look greasy.

It's amazing. They go to so much trouble to showcase local chefs, but seem to forget that the at-home audience can't taste the food - we have to rely on the visuals. I have a few suggestions for the producers of this show:

1. Get a better camera. It looks like you're shooting this on Beta or DV. That is so 20th century! The Panasonic HVX200A can be purchased at B&H for $5,200. It'll shoot in 1080p, and not only will your food look like it was shot on film, but you'll also build a small library of HD footage ready for when they throw the switch in 2012.

2. Get a couple of softboxes. You want to mute that light to reduce the shine. Seriously, that food looks like it was dipped in the second tank of my veggie car! Digustipating!

3. Color correct your footage. It doesn't take long and it's pretty easy. You'd be amazed at the difference in the picture if you would pull some of the blues out and actually make it look like food.

Make the investment. You won't regret it.

Interesting, and alarming, interpretation of Verizon's move to crank up their SMS rates by 3¢ per message:
http://tinyurl.com/48zy5h

Mobile Marketer predicts that Verizon's rate hike could potentially bring down the domestic mobile marketing industry. I don't feel educated enough to discredit this claim...but if it is true, then I scorn our country's inability to take advantage of a marketing avenue most Asian nations have not only grasped, but made their primary marketing vehicle.

In Korea, for example, most retail outlets have a bluetooth transmitter that will pick up on the presence of an open mobile channel in their vicinity and use that channel to push a message to a person walking just outside their doors. So, a C-store, for example, can push a "Red Bull 99¢ today only" type message to me as I walk right past the entrance to the store.

I believe the issue is most likely a lack of regulation. Not that I am for MORE laws, but if the mobile marketing industry fell under some sort of regulation, it would be extremely difficult, even impossible, for a company like Verizon to deliver an industry-crushing blow like a 3¢ rate increase. It would enable mobile companies to focus more on creative solutions to marketing to its subscribers rather than making a few cents on each of text message.

After years of being one of my favorite shows, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation sort of lost some of its luster for me last season.  And by CSI, I don’t mean CSI Miami, or CSI New York or CSI Okalona, or any of the other abominations that they pass off as television programming. I’m talking about the O.G. show… CSI Las Vegas.

The season premier, “For Warrick,” was the payoff to the “For Gedda” cliffhanger from last year’s finale that left Warrick Brown shot in an alley. And since it was a foregone conclusion that Gary Dourdan’s character would not survive, (due, it seems, more to Dourdan’s off the set antics than for story reasons,) the premier was less plot resolution and more a sad goodbye to Warrick. Particularly strong was William Peterson, who usually gives a very even keeled performance as Gil Grissom. His delivery of Warrick’s eulogy was particularly moving and was one of the few times we get to see Grissom’s emotional side. (As opposed to Nick Stokes, who seems to get emotional when the weather changes.)

It isn’t that I don’t enjoy the show any more. The writing is still as good as it ever was and the performances are still interesting. (Particularly Peterson, whom I have loved since Manhunter… the original Silence of the Lambs prequel. Damn you Ed Norton for remaking that movie!) But the show has hit that point in its run where it has started to coast on its success.  And there is no bigger sign than that Peterson, the show’s lead and the department’s leader, is leaving in episode 10 this season. Shows often lose actors and it isn’t always the kiss of death, but it really feels like the sharks are circling and The Fonz is revving up his bike.

But C.S.I. isn’t going down without a fight and to keep the show in the top 5, they are bringing in a heavy hitter… namely the heaviest hitter of them all, Ike Turner himself, Lawrence Fishburne, to replace Peterson as the head of CSI. Fishburne will show up in episode 9 as a permanent cast member. They are also finally replacing Jorja Fox, who’s character, Sara Sidel, left last season. Fans of Showtime’s “The L Word” will recognize, Lauren Lee Smith, who will be playing Bryce Adams, a character described by CBS as “a flirty and smart CSI who entered law enforcement to rebel against a controlling father.”

I’ll be interested to see what happens this season, because if anyone can save this show for me, it’s Morpheus.

I was a little bored last night before the Dancing with the Stars Results Show (sorry Kim!), so I decided to check out Opportunity Knocks.  I have to say I was pleasantly surprised!  It was actually my favorite new show of the season!

I think because Ashton Kutcher is a producer, I was expected to be Punk'd somewhere along the line, but it's actually just a quiz show that rewards families that know their surroundings really well.

Each family member is asked questions about other family members, items in the house and throughout their neighborhood.  When a question is answered correctly, more money goes into the family's stash and if all the individual's questions are answered correctly they win a prize just for them.  At the end, the family has a chance to answer another set of questions to double their money or risk it all for a chance to win $250,000.

Watching the show made me glad that I wasn't on there with my own family!  I love quiz shows and think I'm super-good at them, but I couldn't image being on there with my mom.  She's awesome, but tends to prance around in her own little happy world and doesn't pay so much attention to the details the show asks about.  Does anyone seriously think my mom would be able to tell the difference between the grass in her own front yard versus the grass in the neighbor's yard?  I don't think so!

Private Practice debuted its second season last week.  To recap last season, Addison, of Seattle Grace (home to Grey's Anatomy) moves to LA in search of sunshine and no more Meredith and Derrick drama.  She begins to work at a "private practice" that focuses on alternative medicine.

The two heads of the practice used to be married, so there is always tension and drama between them and everyone else has either been or wants to be involved with somebody else at the office.  Season 2 is more of the same.  Since there are only seven people that work at the clinic there are only so many feasible love triangles.

I'm a huge Grey's Anatomy fan and my favorite part about that show is all of the awesome personal drama.  Who didn't love Izzy hooking up with Callie O'Malley's husband?!?

With Private Practice, the personal drama is so dull, that I mostly look forward to the medical mysteries.  In the season premiere, there was a family that had a son with a disease that could only be cured by using the blood from a relative's umbilical cord.  The boys' parents conceive another child, but when the boy takes a turn for the worse the mom breaks her water by using a knitting needle, in order to have the premature baby right away and save her son.  Finally, some drama!

I don't think the spin off is ever as good as the original.  I still enjoy Private Practice, but wish we could spice it up a little.  Maybe Addison could sleep with her coworker/best friend's husband.  Now that would make Dr. Izzy Stevens proud!

Last week I watched the new series "The Ex List" on CBS.  It's about a 30-something florist, Bella, who visits a psychic that tells her if she wants to ever get married she will have to do it this year or it will never happen.  The catch is that she doesn't have to meet a new guy and start from scratch because she's already dated the guy at some point before.

In the series premiere, Bella gets reacquainted with a singer that she dated 7 years ago.  She thought perhaps he had matured from the emotional cry baby she dumped back then, so she invited all of her friends to check out his band playing at a local bar.  Too bad that he dedicated a song to her called "You're a Crazy Bitch and You'll Die Alone."  I think she pretty much got the point after that.

Since she has to find Mr. Right within a year, I do wonder how the writers will be able to keep stories about Bella and her crazy ex-boyfriends fresh.  But, I'm sure there are plenty of female writers on staff that have dated a ton of train wrecks!

I am still trying to wrap my brain around the concept behind a "sling box." The idea that one can call up one’s television over the internet, and view it over any computer – anywhere in the world, baffles me. And, you can change the channel. Well, I had some fun with that recently! We were out of the country and wanting to see the Cards play football so Rick went right into geek mode and called up the satellite receiver via sling box. All we had was his laptop. My parents were staying at our house and while I was checking on things and chatting on the phone with them, Rick changed their television channel. Mom said, “the channel keeps changing” and we just sat there and laughed for a few seconds. In hushed tones of course. We couldn’t torture them for long so we came clean up and tried to explain what was going on. Well, they couldn’t believe it either.

The home unit is roughly 5” X 8” and takes 15 minutes to install (mainly software).
You can check it out at SlingMedia.com and there are no monthly fees. It’s so friggin’ cool!

Thursday night, over the past few years of TV, has been the highlight of the week for me. My Name is Earl, The Office, 30 Rock, CSI and Ugly Betty fall on that evening and put my DVR into overdrive and my weekend into couch potato heaven catching up on the Thursday night manna.

Earl, Ugly Betty and The Office all premiered last week and because of the onslaught of the other new TV, I just caught up on these shows earlier this week. So, our fair readers, here is my take on the big three.

Earl is on the edge of coming off series recording status on the DVR. I stuck with it last year even though I didn't care for his stint in prison or his time in the coma. Looking back, my take is that the show jumped the shark when he went to prison. I should have probably stopped watching then. The premiere this season didn't bring me any closer to coming back into the Earl fold. There are a lot of aspects going awry on the show, but one of the simple missteps (for me) is the marginalization of Darnell's presence on the show. In this past, his lines have been comedic throw-aways ala Arrested Development style. He's a welcome breath of fresh air against the harshness of Joy, Earl and Randy. There are other things going wrong for me, but I'll give it another few episodes this year to reverse the shark jump. My prediction: the show will run at least a few more seasons, but it may not find a home on my DVR for much longer.

Thursday night score: 0/1
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I started watching Two and a Half Men faithfully last year. This season, albeit only two episodes in, has not let me down in the least.

Short synopsis of the premiere: Charlie finds out he might be a dad to an 8-year-old named Chuck. Even those who don't watch the show can appreciate Jon Cryer (Alan) singing "Cat's in the Cradle," right? And, you can't beat the comic value of Alan and Charlie's mom telling them that "spending time with one's children if over-rated." Not to spoil anything, but the kid isn't Charlie's (thank you, writers).

In the second episode, the brothers find themselves in a dispute about $38 and some stolen gasoline that forces Charlie to evict Alan from his place. Alan's ex takes him in while her new husband migrates over and ends up staying with Charlie. In the end, we are left wondering if Charlie will invite Alan back in...not much mystery there, though. The conceit of the show wouldn't really work unless the two co-habitated, right?

I love Charlie, Berta (the housekeeper) and Evelyn (Charlie and Alan's mom) the most. Charlie is 40 and still a legitimate player. You gotta respect that!  Berta, the white trash housekeeper is one of the most well-written characters on television and her comic timing is second-to-none. Evelyn is quintessential Malibu on a stick - she's got Botox, sleeps around and scorns motherhood.

I'm not such a big fan of Jake anymore - he's an annoying teenager now instead of the chubby-cheeked cuddlebunch he used to be. He's not been in the first two eps too much, so I suspect other viewers feel the same way.

So, hopefully as the season progresses, they'll keep the focus on Charlie, Berta and Evelyn!

Season 2 of Chuck aired last night and I have to say it was better than I expected!

One of the main reasons I think I'll enjoy this season is that Chuck has evolved into something more than the stereotypical "computer nerd". He seems to have a lot more confidence and is more of a take action kinda guy as opposed to the season 1 Chuck that couldn't tie his shoes without tripping over them. Chuck's attempts at wooing Sarah continue, paying off in this season opener when he manages to get her out on a real date -- high five Chuck, score one for the nerds!

A cameo appearance by Michael Clarke Duncan was a great choice for a bad guy. I always like Duncan as a bad guy (yeah that's right - even Daredevil - Ben Affleck really screwed that one up for everyone). Although when he uttered the words "Heebie Jeebies," it kinda threw me off for a second, making me wonder how many bad guys would actually say something like that. As for the storyline…just another day in the life of Chuck (the government harddrive for all their secrets) -- a couple of fight scenes with the gorgeous Sarah and Chuck being dangled over the railing by the bad guys. Other than the bad guy getting the "Heebie Jeebies" from his bosses, I thoroughly enjoyed this episode and hope that the rest are as good if not better.